When he was asked to join cross-country, Marcus Cunanan already had an interest in running and he was ready to go. “I first joined cross-country in seventh grade and I kept participating every year….My English teacher, Mr. Sturgis, liked to talk about it when I asked because he was a runner himself,” Cunanan said. “He suggested I join to see what it’s like for myself, but it took me a while since I never played for a sports team before.”

Since then, Cunanan has run in a lot of meets, especially before the pandemic, but he said that his most memorable meet was the one against Will C. Wood at the beginning of March this year. “The feeling I had the whole way through, competing with someone at your level neck to neck for first place, was the best experience to have. I felt that I had the ability to win and it just mattered whether I wanted to push myself or not.”

While he’s been running for a few years, COVID has truly impacted his skills. “It put me in an awkward spot as the middle of track season ended abruptly with no warning for me to adjust,” he said. “Still, I would join track again because there is no reason not to. I can’t miss a once a year opportunity to compete.”

While he has no problems with practices and meets, which can be hosted and held in a safe manner, he is not ready to come to campus in April. “I am against in-person school at the moment because of COVID,” he said. “I don’t think we should even consider coming back cause I see it as risky and could go wrong at any moment.”

Running is what Cunanan enjoys, but it is something he may only do through high school. “I have no plans for competing on a college level, nor do I have a college in mind,” he said. It doesn’t mean he won’t run after graduation, but for now he is focused on his skills at this level.

“I live a normal student-athlete life, like doing my classes, finishing schoolwork and going to practice. After I graduate, I plan to go into college either through academics or sports so I have another option.”

He would encourage other students to get involved in sports, especially running. “You have to like the sport you play to have a good experience because forcing yourself would have an opposite effect,” he said.